Sonic picture system



R. H. RINES SONIC PICTURE SYSTEM Nov. 7, 1950 Filed Aug. 7, 1945 IN vs v rox. Kalle/fz" M Aff/res RIMM/fr.

Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SONIC PICTURE SYSTEM Robert Harvey Rines, Brookline, Mass.

Application August 7, 1945, Serial No. 609,420

(Cl. ri-6.8)

22 Claims. l

The present invention relates to electric systems, and more particularly to receiving systems using sound waves as the agency of communication. The term sound will be employed hereinafter, in the specification and the claims, to include not only the audible part of the sound spectrum, but also, and more particularly, the ultrasonic spectrum, and to include also all kinds of elastic vibrations. l

An object of the invention is to provide' a new and improved sound-receiving system.

Another object is to provide a novel combined sound-and-television system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new sound-locator system for both detecting the presence of a body and producing a lvisible likeness thereof.

Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter and Will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention will now be more fully explained in connection with theV accompanying drawing, the single ligure of which is a diagrammatic View of circuits and apparatus arranged and constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof.

A directive ultrasonic transmitter (not shown) may transmit ultrasonic waves toward an object l, illustrated as an underwater submarine. The sound waves are reflected and scattered from the surface of the object I toward a sound-receiving station. The invention is operable also with objects I that emit, as well as reflect or scatter, sound waves.

At the receiving station, the sound waves thus reected and scattered from the object I may be focused by a sound lens 3 upon a bank or array 5, comprising a plurality of sound-receiving pick-up unit elements vibratory in response to the sound energy impinging thereon. The sound lens 3 may be'replaced by any other type'of well-known lens, mirror or other directive system for focusing the sound waves scattered and reected from the object on the bank or array 5 of pick-up elements. The sound lens may, for example, be constituted of a collodion balloon lled with carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide or any other substance for refracting the sound waves.

The vibratory pick-up elements of th'e bank or array 5 are shown as a plurality of vibrator receiver elements, sound insulated from one another as shown at 43, 45, 41, 49 and 5I, to prevent vibrational` interference. These elements may, for example, be of the transversely-vibrating diaphragmztype disclosed in Letters Patent 2,063,944,

granted to G. W. Pierce, on December 15, 1936. The outer vibrator elements may be supported by clamps as described in Letters Patent 2,063,945, issued on the said December l5, 1936, to the said G. W. Pierce. The inner vibrator elements are shown mounted within frames bounded by the sound-insulating members 43, 45, 41, 49 and 5I.

If the lens 3 has a large focal length, the waves focused on any diaphragm of the bank 5 will enclose a small solid angle. The waves within that small solid angle will arrive at the diaphragm with their wave fronts almost parallel. Let it be assumed that these wave fronts, at the time that the wavesV converge upon the diaphragm, are parallel to the line 'l-'I. A maximum vibratory response will then be obtained if the diaphragm be oriented parallel to the line 9 9 making the Pierce angle with the line 'I-'I. The Pierce angle 0 is given by the formula sin 0-V Y where Vo is the velocity of propagation in the medium, which here may be water, and V is the corresponding velocity, at thev critical frequency of the propagation, of the transverse sound or other elastic waves in the diaphragm. The Pierce angle may-not be necessary for operation, however, where the focused vibrations areof suflicient magnitude to transfer elastic Vibrations to the diaphragm.

The diaphragm pick-up units are shown ar'- ranged in the form of rows and columns, in the proximity of the focal plane of the lens 3. The first or uppermost row of the bank is illustrated as comprising the vibrators 2, 4, 6, 8, and I0, shown as equally spaced horizontally. The second row from. the top is shown constitutedy of similarly disposed vibrators, respectively disposed directly below the corresponding vibrators of the first row; several of these are illustrated at 22, 24, 26, etc. The third or next-lower row is similarly constituted, several of the vibrators being illustrated. at 42 and 44. Though only a small number oi pick-up units is shown in each row, and though only eleven rows are shown, this is merely for illustrativeV purposes, in order not to confuse the disclosure. ItV will be understood that, in practice, a large number of pick-up unit-s will be employed in each row.

vThe vibrator elements 2, 22, 42, etc., are shown arranged vertically in the first or left-hand column. The vibrator elements 45,. 24, 44, etc., .arel disposed in the second column fromy the left.

The vibrator elements 6, 26, etc., are disposed in the third column from the left, and so on. There may, or may not, be as many columns as there are pick-up units in each row. Though each column is shown as comprising only a few pickup units, this is again in order not to complicate the drawing.

The pick-up units will, of course, all receive the reflected or scattered sound Waves through the lens 3 simultaneously. There will be focused on each pick-up unit a sound-wave intensity corresponding. to the intensity of the sound energy reflected or scattered from a corresponding component part or area of the object I. Vibrations will thus be produced across the pickup elements corresponding to the different eld strengths of sound-wave energy thus received by them, and proportional to the intensity of the sound-wave energy reflected or scattered or otherwise emanating from the various component parts of the object I and converged upon the array 5 of pick-up elements by the lens 3. The sound lens 3 or its equivalent will thus focus upon the array 5 the sound waves reflected or scattered from the various parts of the object in various energy strengths dependent on the reflecting properties of the component parts of the object I, thus to produce a faithful sound image of this distribution of the sound waves in. approximately the focal plane of the lens 3. It has heretofore been proposed to convert a sound-energy picture of this character into a visible-picture likeness 3S of the object I upon the fluorescent viewing screen 4| of a display cathode-ray oscilloscope tube 31. The tube 31 is shown operating on the electrostatic principle, but, of course, a magnetic dellector, or a combination of .magnetic and electrostatic forces, may equally well be employed. According to a feature of the present invention, however, improved results are obtained by suitably enhancing the vibrations of the vibratory diaphragm pick-up elements through the use of the Pierce angle (9, as has been more fully described.

Each transversely vibrating vibrator is connected by a sound conductor to a fixed soundcontact member. The sound conductors may, for example, be of the nature described by S. Sokoloff on pages 542 to 544, vol. 2, of Technical Physics of the U. S. S. R., 1935. The vibrators 2, 4, 6, 8, and Il) of the top row of vibrators, for example, are respectively connected by sound conductors II2, I4, I6, I3 and 20 to sound-contact or transfer members II2, IM, H6, II8 and |20. The vibrator 22 of the second row is connected by a sound conductor 32 to a contact member |32, the vibrator 42 of the third row is connected by a sound conductor 52 to a contact member |52, and so on. The'stationary sound-contact members are arranged in a circle in order successively to make contact or engage elastically with a sound-conducting comlnutator or distributor I I, rotated by a motor I3.

The invention thus provides a sound-distributing means associated with the normally ineffective receiving diaphragm pick-up elements together with a plurality of sound conductors for successively connecting the diaphragms to the distributor. The distributor, moreover, is actuated to connect it with the sound conductors in succession. Connection is also made synchronously with the actuation of the distributor to connect the cathode-ray oscilloscope and the e1ements, thus, as will be more fully explained hereinafter, to render the elements successively effective. A Visual likeness of the `object will thus be produced on the screen of the oscilloscope.

With proper predetermination or adjustment of the lengths of the conductors, the loss of vibrational intensity in the various conductors will be equalized, in order to maintain in a fixed magnetostrictive core I5 the relative vibrational intensities of the diaphragms.

When the commutator II is in contact with the sound contactor |20, as shown, sound waves,

focused by the lens 3 from a corresponding component part or area of the object I on the vibrator l0, are transmitted along the sound conductor 2i] to the sound-contact member |20 as described f in Letters Patent 2,063,947, granted to the said G. W. Pierce on the said Dec. l5, 1936. From the contact member |23, sound is conducted by the sound conductor II to the magnetostrictive core I5. The xed core I5 makes contact continuously with the shaft of the motor I3 at a point near the end thereof as the shaft rotates, thus to maintain it in elastic contact with the commutator conductor II. The vibrations of the core I5 will result in magnetostrictive interaction in the coil I1. The voltage signal thus produced in the coil I1 in response to the sound signal on the vibrator Il) will befed through an amplier 2| and a rectiiier 23.

As the motor I3 revolvesthe sound commutator II connects successive diaphragm Vibrators of first, the top row to the core I5, and then the diaphragm vibrators of the next successively lower rows of the array 5. All the elements of the bank 5 will thus be successively connected to the amplier 2| during one revolution of the motor I3. As will presently appear', this results in effectively scanning the diaphragm pick-up elements. Y

The voltages at the output ofthe rectifier 23 are successively fed between the control electrode 45 and the cathode 41of the oscilloscope 31.

Electrons emitted from the cathode 51 4of vthe tube 31 will become accelerated, in response to proper stimulation of the grid 45, so as to pass by the grid 45 to the anode i3 of the oscilloscope 31. The electrons will continue to travel in a stream fromY the anode .83, between a pair of vertically disposed deflector plates Y29 and 3|, of which the plate 3| is shown grounded, and. between a pair of horizontally disposed deflector plates 33 and 35, of which the plate 35 is shown grounded, to impinge finally on the screen Il I. A horizontal-sweep-time base, applied to the vertically disposed deflector plates 29 and 3|, will cause the electron stream from the cathode 41 to become deflected horizontally in a period corresponding to the time in which the motor I3 causes the sound commutator II successively to connect all the vibrators of a complete row to the amplifier 2|. After each horizontal sweep of the-oscilloscope 31 has been completed, a successively larger voltage will be applied to the horizontally disposed deflector plates 33 and 35 of the oscilloscope 31, by a vertical-sweep-time base, causing the electrony stream to become de-` ected vertically, and causing each of the horizontal sweeps to appear at successively lower levels on the oscilloscope face 4I corresponding to successively lower verticallyA disposed levels of the rows of vibrators.

After the last such horizontal sweep, the horizontally disposed plates of the oscilloscope will become restored to their starting voltage. The next horizontal sweep, therefore, will start again at the rst or top row. vThe periodof a complete Vertical scan of the oscilloscope 31 will correspond to the period of one revolution of the motor I3, during Which period all the rows and columns of vibrators are successively connected to the core I5. Sweep generators 25 and 21 may be employed to produce the horizontal-timebase sweep' and the vertical sweep, respectively, according to conventional and well-known television technique. As the electron stream produced from the cathode 41, in response to appropriate horizontal sWeep-time-base voltages applied to the` vertically disposed deector plates 29 and 3l of the cathode-ray tube 31, travels along any particular horizontal line on the screen 4 I, the voltages fed from the rectifier 23 between the grid 45 and the cathode 41 cause more or less electrons to pass to the screen 4I, thereby intensity modulating this horizontal line of the electron Stream impinging on the screen 4 I. This affords successive indications of the intensity of the sound energy impinged upon the diaphragm receiving elements of the particular row of diaphragm elements at the time that they are connected into the vacuum-tube circuit.

Since the output of the amplifier 2| and the rectifier 23 will therefore obviously Vary, at successive instants, in accordance with the strength of the sound energy impinging upon the successive receiving pick-up elements from the corresponding component parts or areas of the object i, during the scanning of the elements in response to the operation of the member I I under the control of the motor I3, it constitutes `a measure of the strength of the sound energy received by the respective pick-up elements from their corresponding component parts or areas of the object I. Successive energizing voltagesare thus produced from the rectifier '23 on the control electrode 45 of the cathode-ray tube 31, of magnitude proportional tothe sound-wave energy received by the corresponding pick-up elements. The illumination resulting from the intensity modulation on the screen 4I will be such that the intensity of illumination of parts or regions of the screen 4I corresponding to particular diaphragm units of the vibrator bank 5 will correspond to the intensity of the parts of the sound- Wave image on the rows and columns of the bank 5; these parts of this sound-wave image and these particular diaphragm units, in turn, corresponding to correspondingly disposed component parts of the object I. v

The sound waves received by the vibrator units along the successive rows and columns will thus become converted intosuccessive portionsof the visual likeness, along correspondingly disposed rowsand columns thereof, along the successive time bases. The visual-picture likeness 39 of the object I thus produced on the oscilloscope screen 4Iv will accordingly correspond to the soundenergy picture Aon the array 5 of pick-up elements which, in turn, corresponds to the actual object I, but it will be very much sharper and clearer than if the sound vibrations of the diaphragm pick-up units had not been enhanced through disposing them at the before-described Pierce angle 0.V

The vibrators of the bank 5 for receiving the distribution of sound waves fro-m the object I may be thin transversely vibratory diaphragm plates of small dimensions, say, a few wave lengths, in order to-make possible the use of a suciently large number of them in the array 5 to provide for good denition. The frequency of 6 the sound waves employed may be reasonably high.

Although the invention has been described in connection with pick-up elements arranged in rows and columns, it will be understood that this is not essential, for other arrangements are also possible. Pick-up elements arranged along concentric circles covering the field, or along a continuous spiral, will also serve, though the oscilloscope arrangement would, of course, be correspondingly modified.

Further modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such are considered to fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric system having, in combination, a bank of diaphragm sound-receiving elements for receiving a distribution of sound waves from an object, sound distributing meansassociated with the receiving elements for successively connecting with the elements, and means associated With said distributing means for producing a likeness of the object.

2. An electric system having, in combination, a plurality of sound-receiving elements for receiving sound waves from an object, a distributor, a plurality of sound conductors for connecting the elements to the distributor, means for actuating the distributor to connect with the sound conductors in succession, and means controlled by the distributor for producing a likenessv of the object.

3. An electric system having, in combination, a plurality of sound-receiving elements for receiving sound waves from an object, a distributor, a plurality of sound conductors for connecting the elements to the distributor, means for actuating the distributor to connect with the sound conductors in succession, an oscilloscope having a screen successively disposed areas of which correspond to the successively disposed elements, and means for sending an electron stream through the oscilloscope in synchronism with the actuation of the distributor to illuminate the areas in synchronism with the reception of the sound energy received by the corresponding elements.

4. A method of the character described comprising focusing sound Waves from an object, conducting away the focused sound waves along predetermined paths, and converting the conducted-away sound waves into a likeness of the object.

5. A method of the character described co-mprising focusing sound waves from an object upon an area, conducting sound Waves from elements of the area away from the area along conducting sound paths of predetermined length, and converting the conducted-away sound in the paths into likenesses of elements of the object corresponding to the corresponding elements of the area.

6. An electric system having, in combination, a plurality of diaphragm sound-receiving elements for receiving sound waves from an object, a plurality of sound insulators inserted between adjacent diaphragms of the plurality of soundreceiving elements, means for conducting the sound-wave energy received by the diaphragm elements away from the diaphragm elements along predetermined paths, and means cooperative with the receiving elements and controlled in accordance with the conducted-away soundwave energy for producing a likeness of the object.

7. An electric system having, in combination, a bank of diaphragm sound-receiving elements for receiving sound waves from an object, means for focusing the waves on the receiving elements, sound-distributing means associated with the receiving elements for successively connecting with the elements, and means associated with the distributing means for producing a likeness of the object.

8. An electric system having, in combination, a, plurality of diaphragm sound-receiving elements for receiving sound waves from an object, means for focusing the waves on the receiving elements, a distributor, a plurality of sound conductors for connecting the elements to the distributor, means for actuating the distributor to connect with the sound conductors in succession, means for converting the sound waves in the sound conductors into electrical signals, an scilloscope having a screen successively disposed areas of which correspond to the successively disposed elements, means for sending an electron stream through the oscilloscope in synchronism with the actuation of the distributor to illuminate the areas in synchronism with the successive connecting of the elements to the distributor, and means cooperative with the said converting means for modulating the intensity of the electron stream, thereby to produce a likness of the object upon the said screen.

9. A method of the character described comprising focusing sound waves from an object upon an area, successively conducting sound waves from elements of the area away from the area along conducting sound paths of predetermined lengths, and'successively converting the conducted-away sound energy in the paths into liknesses of elements of the object corresponding to the corresponding elements of the area.

10. An electric system having, in combination, a plurality of diaphragm means for receiving sound waves from an object, each of the diaphragm means respectively corresponding to respective areas of the object from which they respectively receive the sound waves, means for conducting the sound-wave energy received by the diaphragm means away from the diaphragm means along predetermined paths, means for magnetostrictively converting the conductedaway sound-wave energy received by each of the diaphragm means from the corresponding area of the object into corresponding alternating-voltage signals, and means connected to the converting means for producing a likeness of the object.

11. An electric system having, in combination, a two-dimensional array of diaphragm soundreceiving elements for receiving sound waves from an object, the elements respectively corresponding to respective areas of the object from which they respectively receive the sound waves, means for preventing interaction between the elements, means for conducting the sound-wave energy received by the diaphragm elements away from the elements along predetermined paths, means for converting the conducted-away sound-wave energy received by each of the diaphragm elements from the corresponding area of the object into corresponding voltage signals, and means responsive to the voltage signals and connected to the converting means for producing a likeness of the object.

12. An electric system having, in combination, a two-dimensional array of normally ine'ective diaphragm sound-receiving elements for receiving sound waves from an object, the elements respectively corresponding to respective portions ofthe object from which they respectively receive the sound waves when rendered eective, means for conducting the sound-wave energy received by the diaphragm elements away from the elements along predetermined paths, means for rendering the elements successively eiective in two-dimensional order to convert the conductedaway sound-wave energy received by the elements from the corresponding portions of the object into corresponding voltage signals in twodimensional order, a normally ineffective electric circuit for producing a likeness corresponding to the sound energy received by the elements from the object, and means controlled in synchronism with the operation of the rendering means for rendering the circuit successively effective in response to the respective voltage signals to produce successive portions of a likeness of the object in two-dimensional order synchronously with the reception of the sound energy from the corresponding portions of the object by the elements.

13. An electric system comprising a plurality of vibrational means for receiving sound waves from an object, a single electric circuit for interconverting vibrational and electric energy, means for successively connecting the vibrational means of the plurality of vibrational means to the electric circuit in order successively to convert the vibrational energy received by the successive vibrational means into corresponding electric energy, and means controlled in accordance with the connecting means and responsive to the electric energy converted in the electric circuit for producing a likeness of the object.

14. An electric system comprising a plurality of diaphragm vibrational means for receiving sound waves from an object, a single electric circuit for interconverting vibrational and electric energy, means for successively connecting the diaphragm vibrational means of the plurality of diaphragm vibrational means to the electric circuit in order successively to convert the vibrational energy received. by the successive diaphragm vibrational means into corresponding electric energy, and means controlled in accordance with the connecting means and responsive to the electric energy converted in the electric circuit for producing a likeness of the object.

15. An electric system comprising a plurality of vibrational means for receiving sound waves from an object, means for preventing vibrational interference between the receiving means, a single electric circuit for interconverting vibrational and electric energy, means for successively connecting the vibrational means of the plurality of vibrational means to the electric circuit in order successively to convert the vibrational energy received by the successive vibrational means into corresponding electric energy, and means controlled in accordance with the connecting means and responsive to the electric energy converted in the electric circuit for producing a likeness of the object.

16. An electric system having, in combination, a two-dimensional array of transversely vibratory elements for receiving sound waves from an object, a single electric circuit for interconverting vibrational and electric energy, means for successively connecting the -vibratory elements in two-dimensional order to the electric circuit in order successively to convert the vibrational energy received by the successive vibratory elements into corresponding electric energy, and means controlled in accordance with the connecting means and responsive to the electric energy converted in the electric circuit for producing a twodimensional likeness of the object.

17. An electric system comprising a two-dimensional array of mutually insulated transversely vibratory sound-receiving elements for receiving sound Waves from an object, a single electric circuit for interconvertin-g vibrational and electric energy, means for successively connecting the vibratory sound-receiving elements in two-dimensional order to the electric circuit in order successively to convert the vibrational energy received by the successive vibratory elements into corresponding electric energy, a cathode-ray tube display having a fluorescent screen, means for producing an electron stream impinging on the screen and time-constant-controlled sweep generators for causing the electron stream to scan the screen in two-dimensional order, the time constants of the sweep generators being adjusted to correspond to the period of the two-dimensional connecting of the vibratory sound-receiving elements to the electric circuit, and means responsive to the electric energy converted in the electric circuit for controlling the electron stream to produce a two-dimensional likeness of the object upon the fluorescent screen.

18. An electric system having, in combination, mechanically vibratory diaphragm means adapted to be set into mechanical vibration in response to sound energy impinging thereon, means for converging sound energy emanating from an object upon the diaphragm means to set the diapragm means into mechanical vibration, means for conducting the mechanical energy of the mechanical vibration of the diap-hragm means away from the diaphragm means along predetermined paths, and means controlled in accordance with the conducted-away mechanical energy for producing a likeness of the object.

19. An electric system having, in combination, a plurality of mechanically Vibratory diaphragm sound-receiving elements each adapted to be set into mechanical vibration in response to sound energy impinging thereon, means for converging sound energy emanating from an object upon the diaphragm elements to set the diaphragm elements intomechanical vibration, sound-energy conducto-rs of predetermined length connected to the respective diaphragm elements for conducting the mechanical energy of the mechanical vibration of the respective diaphragm elements, and means connected to the sound-energy conductors and controlled in accordance with the mechanical energy conducted thereto by the sound-energy conductors for producing a likeness of the object.

20. An electric system having, in combination, mechanically vibratory diaphragm means adapted to be set into transverse mechanical vibration in response to sound energy impinging thereon in a medium in which the diaphragm means is dis-posed, means for converging sound energy emanating from an object upon the diaphragm means to set the diaphragm means into transverse mechanical vibration, the diaphragm means, in order to enhance the transverse me- 10 chanical vibration set up therein, being disposable at an angle 0 with a line at right angles to the direction of the sound energy from the object such that sin 0:?3

where Vo is the velocity of the sound in the medium, and V is the velocity of propagation of the elastic waves in the diaphragm means, and means controlled in accordance with the enhanced transverse mechanical vibrations of the diaphragm means for producing a likeness of the object.

21. An electric system having, in combination, a plurality of mechanicallyr vibratory diaphragm sound-receiving elements each adapted to be set into transverse mechanical vibration in response to sound energy impinging thereon in a medium in which the diaphragm elements are disposed, means for converging sound energy emanating from an object upon the diaphragm elements to set the diaphragm elements into transverse mechanical vibration, the diaphragm elements, in order to enhance the transverse mechanical vibration set up therein, being disposable at an angle 0 with a line at right angles to the direction of the sound energy from the object such that V0 sin 0 V where V0 is the velocity of sound in the medium, and V is the velocity of propagation of the elastic waves in the diaphragm elements, and means controlled in accordance with the enhanced mechanical vibrations of the diaphragm elements for producing a likeness of the object.

22. A methodmof the character described comprising focusing sound waves from an object upon an area, conducting sound Waves from elements of the area away from the area along separate conducting sound paths of predetermined length, converting the conducted-away sound in the separate paths into corresponding alternating currents, and transforming the alternating currents into likenesses of elements of the object corresponding to the corresponding elements of the area.

ROBERT HARVEY RINES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,487,691 Murray Mar. 18, 1924 1,943,395 Pfeiier Jan. 16, 1934 2,014,412 Pierce Sept. 17, 1935 2,031,884 Gray Feb. 25, 1936 2,044,807 Noyes June 23, 1936 2,063,944 Pierce Dec. 15, 1936 2,063,947 Pierce Dec. 15, 1936 2,418,846 Mecham Apr. 15, 1947 2,453,502 Dimmick Nov. 9, 1948 FOREIGN' PATENTS Number Country Date 836,792 France Jan. 6, 1941 541,959 Great Britain Dec. 19, 1941 546,202 Great Britain July 2, 1942 

